u/Alternative_Draw_533

I've been getting into biology lately, and parasites keep blowing my mind more than anything else. For example, Ophiocordyceps - a fungus that infects ants. It doesn't touch the brain. Instead it grows into the muscles and controls them directly. The ant leaves its colony, climbs a plant, and stops at exactly 25cm off the ground for the fungus to spread spores. Then it bites into a leaf and can't let go. Dies there. A stalk grows out of its head and rains spores down onto the other ants walking around below. Nature is wild, and I’m sure there are even more examples of parasites manipulating their hosts like this.